Parliament Out of Session.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 6235, 6 June 1890, Page 2

Parliament Out of Session.

(Br Telegraph.)

DUNEDIN, June 5.

Mr James Allen, M.H.R., addressed bis constituents this evening. He criticised Mr Fergus’ speech. Referring to harbour boards ho said that it would damage the colony’s credit more to assume their liabilities than to leave them to meet their own responsibilities. He approved of the suggestion as to local government extension, but thought that it would not be dealt with daring the coming session. As to the purchase of native lands, that was intimately connected with tho construction of the main trunk line, and he considered that nothing further in the way as construction should be done until all tho lands required had been secured, to which object the balance of the loan should be applied. A progressive land tax would amount to nothing less than robbery. No doubt public feeling was against the Railway Commissioners, and justly so, bub he thought that they should not be interfered with at present. If they could not in a year or so do what the country wanted they would have to go. The Sweating Commission had apparently done good work. Hejwas opposed to the property tax as unfair, but the difficulty was that no one could provide a substitute to get revenue. He would vote for a land and income tax if it could be shown that its adoption would not utterly destroy our finances. He was not prepared to rush like a bull at a red rag and smash everything to get his own ideas adopted. A vote of thanks and confidence was unanimously carried.